


Surrounded By Books

by Dantikat



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Author Blake, BFFL Renora, Businesswoman Weiss, Eventual Drama, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Genius Ruby, Library Attendant Ren, Mechanic Yang, Menta Mellontikos, Modern AU, Mutual Pining, Ninjas of Love, Occasional Explicit Content, Old Re-write, Past Yang Xiao Long/Blake Belladonna, Romance, Slice of Life, Uni Student Nora, Whiterose, Young Adults, arkos, slight slow burn, subtle angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-26
Updated: 2019-09-26
Packaged: 2020-10-20 18:43:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20680133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dantikat/pseuds/Dantikat
Summary: Lie Ren is a young adult living in the small town of Oniyuri, where he works as a librarian at the Oniyuri Atheneum. He lives in a modest apartment with his best friend of many years, Nora Valkyrie, and gets to see his other friends, Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos on the weekends when they're all free. He's paid well at the library, is allowed to read as much as he wants, and is usually left to his own whims in the quiet library. For him, life is perfect.That is, however, until a chance meeting with a girl who's recently moved in and taken in interest in the library. It's then that he's met with the one missing factor in his otherwise perfect life: Romance.Modern AU. Ninjas of Love(Ren/Blake). Use of OC's.





	Surrounded By Books

**Author's Note:**

> This is a revival of the first Fanfic I ever published over on FF.net. When I moved over here, I didn't hesitate in refusing to upload it because I never finished it and I was generally pretty unhappy with the writing. 
> 
> Recently, though, I got a surge of inspiration to pick it up and re-write the entire thing, so that's exactly what I'm doing. I hope you all give it a chance and enjoy it.

"Thank you. Have a nice day." Lie Ren called, watching as the little girl—her name was Miranda, he believed—and her mother walked away from the front desk. She turned back to wave at him, flashing him a bright, front-toothless smile. He smiled back, though not nearly as bright as hers, and returned her wave up until they left, the telltale ringing of the bell over the door signaling their exit. He watched the door sway for the moment until it was still, and then he turned to face forward once again, his smile falling and the familiar silence of the library washing over him.

Ren had been working in this library—The Oniyuri Atheneum—for just over two years now. He'd long since grown used to the dull silence of the place and he even enjoyed it most of the time. It was open from six in the morning to ten at night and Ren worked pretty much the entire day, almost every day of the week.

Luckily, he didn't work alone. There was another library attendant; Another young man that Ren had become friends with a year earlier named Menta Mellontikos. Regardless of that, Ren preferred working most of the day. On the off chance that Ren was sick or couldn't come in for some reason, Menta filled in for him. Their quick and easy friendship could be accredited to how similar the two of them were. Both of them had a quiet but serious and observing look in their eyes, carried themselves in calm but alert ways, and seemed to have an ever-prevalent need for peace and quiet.

That similarity is what led to both of them taking the job at the library in the first place. It was quiet, as a library should be, and not many people showed up throughout the day. Oniyuri was a small town, after all, and the Atheneum saw the most foot-traffic on the weekends. Most of their visitors were children accompanied by their parents, though they occasionally got the odd young adult around their age. That mostly ended up being Nora, though, who seldom stayed long due to her inability to abide by the 'Please be quiet in the library' sign. Nevertheless, she always brought some much-needed excitement to Ren and Menta's usually mundane days. 

It wasn't exactly boring, all things considered. Ren loved working in the library, sure, but sometimes the quiet could get overwhelming. Sometimes Ren would read himself to get through it, listen to his favorite kinds of music—he was a sucker for smooth jazz and classical—or he'd meditate. Fortunately, he was lucky enough to have Menta around most of the time. To fill the silence, they would talk about practically anything. Their favorite book series', fashion, music suggestions, their families, and even girls from time to time.

Menta, like almost everyone, had gone the regular route of joking about Ren and Nora being a couple, though he never meant anything by it. Ren had entertained the jokes, once upon a time, but eventually, Menta stopped making them, growing uncomfortable in Ren's place. He had never asked why Menta had done so, but he appreciated it nonetheless.

Instead, they would talk about the girls that came into the library. There weren't many of them in the first place, and Ren found it rude to talk about them while they were so close. Despite that, both Ren and Menta found it to be quite a fun way to pass the time. Menta had dared Ren on several occasions to try and initiate a conversation with some of them, but Ren was quick to refuse. In his mind, he didn't have the capacity for romance and thought it'd be a seamless distraction from the routine of his life.

Menta took some dares, though not many. To Ren, it seemed he was very selective over the girls he chose to talk to; choosing not to talk to girls who were too loud, or to girls who walked or talked with an air of superiority. When asked, Menta claimed that anyone who thought they were better than everyone else didn't deserve his attention. Also, it wasn't very hard to follow the main rule of the library, which Ren could agree with.

Ren sighed and leaned over the front desk. Like usual, he dressed casually: Tan jeans, casual black boots, and a pale green button-up shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His long black hair was tied back in a ponytail, to keep it out of his face, and his bangs hung just on the other sides of his pink eyes. On his left wrist, he wore a simple leather bracelet, studded with random beads of different colors. It was a friendship bracelet that Nora had given him when they were kids, matching the very same bracelet that she wore on her right wrist. It was the only piece of jewelry that he owned and ever wore.

He began to tap his foot rhythmically against the floor, trying to fight back the overwhelming silence of the library. Not soon after, another set of taps joined his own at regular intervals. His head snapped over to the noise, only to find Menta walking up from the back of the library, Whenever Ren was at the front desk, Menta was at the back and vice versa. That way, they could split the library in half and lighten the load on each other.

Menta was just barely an inch taller than Ren, something that both young men had made jokes about before. He had olive skin, tanned in some places, and hair dyed mint green, save for the roots showing his natural brunet. It reached just past his chin, the longest being the bangs framing his eyes. The rest came down short around the rest of his head, his eyes matching the same mint green of his hair. He wore black jeans, brown boots, and a white turtleneck sweater. Over his shoulder, he held a long coat; a knee-length brown duster, it's edges trimmed with black.

Throwing his coat on top of the front desk, Menta leaned against it, his hands in his pockets, and nodded to Ren, who nodded back.

"It's a little past eight," Menta commented, gazing up at the lights. "You know no one comes in much after this."

Ren shrugged, his eyes flitting around the library.

"But what if someone does this time? At least one of us needs to be around just in case." He replied, watching Menta. The taller man cracked a small smile and returned the glance, turning to face him.

"I'm not going to argue with you, Ren. Just know that when you're still sitting here after the next two hours, bored to high hell because no one else shows up, I'll take solace in knowing I tried." Menta sighed, exasperated. He briskly pulled his coat on, the wide sleeves swallowing up his arms in an instant. From one of the pockets, he procured a simple pair of black gloves. Ren raised an eyebrow.

"I think you're a little overdressed." He commented, watching as Menta pulled the gloves on over his hands. "It's only autumn, after all." 

Ren cracked a smile as Menta pulled a childish pout, reminiscent of Nora.

"Hey, it gets colder at night, alright?" Menta replied defensively, moving toward the door. "My hands are my most important feature and I hate nothing more than cold hands."

Chuckling and leaning up off of the desk, Ren stuck his own hands in his pockets.

"Well, at least I can agree with you there." He said. Menta pulled the door open, the small bell above ringing out in earnest as he did.

"Is Nora coming to pick you up again?" He asked, to which Ren shook his head.

"Not this time. She has a test to study for in a few days. I'll lock up around ten and make my way home." Menta nodded, seemingly satisfied, and waved once more as he began his trek out of the library.

"Right, then. I'll see you tomorrow. Night, Ren." Menta called out, waving behind him. Ren nodded.

"Goodnight, Menta," Ren stated, though he couldn't tell if Menta could hear him at this point. The door fell shut, the bell singing out the remnants of its solemn song before all was quiet once again. For a short while, Ren's eyes were glued to the door, as Menta was sometimes prone to forgetting things. After a couple of minutes, though, he had yet to return, so Ren simply sighed and turned his gaze back to the library from where he stood.

It wasn't too big of a library, but it certainly wasn't a small one either. The door was wedged into the leftmost corner, and directly to the right of the door was the front desk. It rounded back against the wall and continued down to the end of the building. At both ends were small, latched gates that only Ren, Menta, and the owner had keys for and served as their exit to and from the front desk. From where he stood at the front desk and forward were rows upon rows of books. Each row easily cleared fifteen feet and even higher into the air easily, each shelf lined from front to back with books of all shapes and sizes. At the other end of the library were several long rectangular tables, as well as round ones, all made of wood for lounging and reading. Up against the back walls were plush couches and loveseats, even a corner in the back right filled with copious amounts of pillows on the carpeted floor for people to relax on. Against the back right wall were computers used as catalogs for the library, or for anyone who simply needed to use one.

The floors were dark green, the walls a pale brown mixed with bits of tan and green at regular intervals, and all the couches and such matched those colors. It was a little bland, but Ren had grown to love the place. He treated it as his home away from home.

_

Just about half an hour after Menta left, Ren was afraid he'd have to admit that the other man had been right. 

Bored half to death, he looked around the library for the umpteenth time. Just like the last time—and the time before that, and the time before that—it was completely empty. Initially, his hopes were dashed ever so slightly. Then, with the absolute promise of privacy, they were instantly brought back up again. It was the perfect time to catch up on some...reading.

Ren turned away from the front desk and turned to sift underneath it. Beside the chair he usually sat in was a small stool, his coat—a black duster similar to Menta's, which both of them had made jokes about—hung over it. He dug underneath it for a moment before pulling his arm back out, In his hand, he held a small black book with a red band around its face. It was dark, worn with age, and its title was faded to the point of it being intelligible, but Ren had memorized it long, long ago.

_Ninjas of Love_. It was his guilty pleasure to read and he made sure that none of his friends knew that fact. He could imagine, no, he could _feel_ the teasing if it were to ever get out that he read such smut. Nevertheless, he enjoyed it and it was simply one more secret that his unbreakable facade could hide.

Pushing himself deep into the red armchair, Ren sat down and flipped the book open to his bookmarked page. He could just easily remember what page he'd been on, but he opted for dog-earring the corner of the page instead. It added character to the book. Nonetheless, he began to read, finding himself engrossed in the... 'encounters' of the characters almost instantly.

Another half-hour passed as Ren continued to read, so caught up in the exploits of the titular 'Ninjas of Love', that he didn't hear the bell above the front door ringing. Or maybe he did, but his subconscious diverted the sound elsewhere? A subtle knock on the hardwood of the front desk pulled his eyes up, where he met a pair of amber-colored eyes that quickly dropped to the book in his hand. There was a slight moment of silence before the realization hit him.

Ren shot to his feet, the book falling out of his hands and deftly landing on top of his coat, falling completely shut like a little magic trick. He rubbed the back of his neck, a pang of regret settling in his mind. That was no way to treat a book, but it was a little too late for that. Finally, he turned to face the one who had walked in.

She was shorter than Ren, by about two or three inches at most, with long black hair that seemed to hang quite a ways down her back and amber, almost golden, eyes that settled onto his own as he stood up. Her expression reminded Ren of what other people often told him he looked like: Calm and collected, but a bit emotionless. At least it did until the corners of her lips quirked up and she giggled. It was a pure sound that seemed to ring in the silence of the empty library.

A blush began to creep it's way up to Ren's neck. He had been figured out.

"I, uh...damn." He stuttered out, at a clear loss for words. The girl's low, light giggles burst and elevated into a full-on laugh, though it remained as serene as the last.

"I apologize for my not paying much attention," Ren started. "I was...caught up in some light reading." He finally managed out. Her laugh had faded, though the embers of it remained in the form of the small smile she wore on her lips.

"Don't worry about it. I can see that you were reading up on only the most important of issues." She retorted, pointing down towards the book on top of his coat. Ren sighed and leaned just over to the side, tucking it back underneath his coat, before waving his hand in surrender toward her, eager to get away from the topic of the book.

"Ugh, I've been caught dead in the act," He deadpanned, though the slight curve of his lips gave him away. "That aside, how can I help you?"

She coughed into her hand, trying to compose herself before nodded and clasping her hands together in front of her.

"I just moved in a couple of blocks down and this is the only library in town. I was hoping I could find something to read for a bit while I got used to the area, but I realized I didn't know when this place closed, nor did I even know what I wanted to read in the first place," She made unflinching eye contact with Ren as she spoke, an action that he returned in full. "I know that I may be asking too much, but I was sort of hoping that you could help recommend me something if that's alright with you."

Ren tapped his chin a bit, in thought. It was just after nine, so he had another hour or so to burn until it was time to close up the library. Time aside, Ren liked to think that he had fairly good taste when it came to novels, seeing as he read most of the time anyway. 

With a nod, he stepped out from behind the front desk and shut the latch behind him.

"I believe I can do that. What kind of genres do you like?" He asked, turning away to walk toward the rows upon rows of books. She followed after him and he took the moment to drink in her appearance.

Her skin was as pale as his own which made the brightness of her eyes stand out just that much more. She wore black jeans, boots to match, and a dark purple turtleneck sweater. A black peacoat and matching gloves finished off her look, alongside a dark purple bow that sat on her head, tied up into perfection.

"Oh, you know. Sci-fi, fantasy, general fiction, adventure...Just about anything, really." She replied, following Ren almost automatically. Her eyes were drawn upwards, gazing meaningfully at each and every book she could see. How many books were there in just these rows alone, she wondered. Distracted, she didn't notice Ren stop moving and promptly walked into him, recoiling a foot or so back as she rubbed her nose.

"S-sorry, I was distracted by all the..." She waved her hand upwards and around, gesturing toward the books. Ren smiled and looked up to his left. He had led her into the sci-fi section, mostly just because she had said it first, and was looking for a specific book.

It took him a while, but once he spotted the familiar coloring on the spine of the book, he knew that was it. Standing up on his tippy-toes, he reached up and plucked it delicately from its place on the shelf. It wasn't too thick and was fairly light, though it had some weight to it.

"This should be good. I don't know if you're into dystopian novels, but this one is pretty great overall." Ren said as he handed it over to her. "It's quite the eye-opening read. Mostly philosophical in nature, it examines plenty of things like perception, the human condition, and society as a whole."

She nodded along, having flipped the book over to read the back. Seemingly pleased, she looked back up at him and smiled.

"Thanks. I'll make sure to get this back as soon as possible." She told him as they headed back up to the front desk. Ren waved his hand dismissively.

"Don't worry about it. Take your time, I insist. " He replied, walking around and stepping back behind the front desk. "A book is always more enjoyable when you don't have to worry about time and can just focus on enjoying the content."

"Well, I'll be sure to do just that, then." She assured him, handing over her library card. In all honesty, she wasn't even sure if it'd work since it was an old card from a different library, but apparently, it wasn't an issue as Ren began to check it out for her. "I'll come back for more recommendations later."

"And I'll be here, waiting to see if you enjoyed the story," He typed rapidly into the console before finally handing the book back over to her. "After all, there's even more fun in discussing a book after you've read it."

She smiled as she took the book from him, holding it against her chest with one arm.

"Well, I definitely agree with you there. Maybe we can discuss it when I come back?" She proposed, to which Ren smiled and nodded.

"That sounds like it could be fun." He told her. And then; "I'm Ren, by the way." Jutting his hand forward. She tightened her grip on the book and held out her other hand, eagerly shaking Ren's hand before stepping away.

"I'm Blake. It was nice meeting you, Ren, but," She turned to glance outside before looking back at him. "I've gotta run or my roommate will lose her head. It's late, after all." 

"I don't blame you. See you later," He called out, waving, as Blake walked out the front door, the bell ringing as she opened and shut the door. She waved back before finally disappearing into the night.

Once again, all was quiet. Ren sighed and reached into his pocket, checking his scroll for the time. It had just barely hit nine-twenty.

Against his better judgment, he decided to just go home instead of sitting there for an extra forty minutes. He began to close up, shutting off all the lights, turning off all the catalogs in the back of the library and making sure everything was clean. Once the main console had finished shutting down completely, he grabbed his coat and his book and exited through the front door. He made sure to lock it behind him as he slipped his coat on and then finally pulled away, walking down the street in the direction of his apartment.

He didn't live very far from the library, which was a definite plus in his book. He didn't have to go too far to get to work and back and he had no need for a car, which was more than he could afford right now anyway.

After a short five or so minute walk, Ren found himself standing in front of a tall brown brick building. He had been living in this apartment building for the last two and a half years, alongside Nora, and the two of them had converted the modestly-sized apartment into a home for both of them.

Wasting no time, Ren walked inside and took the elevator up to the fourth floor, where he and Nora's apartment was situated at the front of the building. He pulled out his keys and walked up to door 416, unlocking it and walking in without a second thought. Immediately, his nose was met with the smell of food: noodles, beef, egg and, of course, pancakes.

He stepped into the warm air and shut the door behind him. Taking off his coat and putting it on the coat rack next to the door, Ren stood there a bit longer to take in the sight.

The apartment was modest, at the very most. Stepping immediately into the living room, the kitchen was off to the left and down the hall next to that was his room. Across from that, there was another bedroom and, to the right of that, was the bathroom. In the living room, it was abundantly clear that Ren didn't live alone. The green couch, usually covered in nothing but square gray pillows, had several books stack atop it, alongside a small plushie of a sloth. Beside the couch, a similar armchair sat tilted towards the wall on Ren's right, where a TV sat atop a small table. There was a large window on the right wall, covered in pink curtains, and a tall bookshelf laden with books of different sizes and colors sat against the back wall behind the couch. Ren _really_ liked to read, after all.

In front of the couch was a wooden coffee table, simple and surprisingly the cleanest thing in the room. The floor had scattered sheets of paper all across it and each seat of the couch had been dealt with the same treatment. From where he was standing, Ren could see that each paper was filled with writing, calculations, and different formulas that he didn't know a thing about.

He carefully made his way into the living room, sticking his book back into its proper place on the shelf before quietly walking toward the kitchen and standing in the doorway. From there, he saw his best friend of some odd number of years and roommate standing at the stove, flipping pancakes at nine-thirty at night.

From behind, he couldn't make out her expression. Her ginger hair, short and cut to her shoulders, bobbed around as she danced from foot to foot. She seemed to be wearing one of Ren's shirts, evident by its green color and how big it was on her, paired with a white skirt of her own that reached to just above her knees. She wore no shoes, opting instead for a pair of short white socks, and wore the only apron in the house. It was pink with a white fringe and, even though Ren couldn't see its front, he knew it said 'Please Do Nothing To The Cook' on it. It was his apron, after all.

Nora's head perked up all of a sudden, the one ear that Ren could see twitching ever so slightly. He foresaw an impact and braced himself. He was nothing, if not prepared, and it was for good reason.

In a split second, Nora separated from the stove and rounded on him, her turquoise eyes shining as she took in his presence. That lasted barely a second. Immediately after that, she threw herself, several feet, at Ren in a lung-crushing bear hug. If he hadn't prepared himself beforehand, he would've been thrown to the ground.

"Renny, you're back! I was starting to worry!" She cried out, latching onto him even tighter. Ren, savoring the small amount of air he had left in him, simply hugged back and nodded. Only when she began to let up did he feel it was safe to talk.

"Yes, I'm back. I'm also early if you'd check the time," He added, pointing to the digital clock they kept in the kitchen. It read nine-thirty-one. "I usually don't get back until after ten."

Nora pulled back and put her hands on her hips, pouting. "Still! Menta called ahead and said you'd be staying late again, but that just made me worry more!" She smiled at him, a bright, beaming smile that just made Ren smile in retaliation. "But it doesn't matter because you're here now! So come on, I made dinner."

She led him back into the kitchen where she resumed flipping pancakes on the stove. Sitting on the counter was a bowl of noddles, fit with slices of cut beef, green veggies, and half an egg floating off to the side. Next to that was a piping hot cup of green tea; Ren's favorite meal with his favorite drink. He noticed, though, that that's all there was. Was Nora planning to just eat pancakes for dinner again...?

He turned to ask her, only to be promptly shut up by a plate stacked high with pancakes being smacked down onto the table. Ren had never taught her his super-secret special recipe, but that hadn't stopped Nora from trying. Every batch of pancakes was made different; different flavors, shapes, fluffiness, everything. So far, Nora hadn't gotten it right, though it still made Ren smile at her honest efforts.

Nora caught Ren looked and flashed him a beaming smile, clearly eager.

"I'm sure I've got it right this time, Renny! Taste the batter, tell me if I'm right!" She exclaimed before going back to cooking the last few cakes. Ren shrugged and walked over to stand next to her, picking the bowl of messy batter up off of the counter. He stuck his finger in it, pulling it out and tasting it as he watched her flip the pancakes. Nora stared at him with expectant eyes, simply waiting and believing. 

After a moment, he put the bowl back down and crossed his arms. 

"It's good," He started, making Nora smile. "But it's not perfect just yet."

_ ** SPLAT ** _

Both Nora and Ren looked up, staring at the half-cooked pancake that was now stuck to the ceiling. She must have been agitated enough to let her strength get away from her, Ren thought. That wouldn't be coming down any soon. Ren switched his gaze from their new ceiling ornament to his best friend, who looked down at the floor in shame. 

"Sorry, sorry, I just...was really sure of it this time!" She exclaimed, looking back up at him. Something about her declaration put him off, but he simply smiled and turned the stove off.

"You'll get it soon enough. Now let's eat before the food gets cold," He picked up the bowl of batter and put it on a free rack in the fridge before turning back to her. "I appreciate the effort you went through to make dinner for me. Let's get to it, Nora."

Nora smiled after him and began struggling with the apron, eventually getting it off and grabbing her plate of pancakes, plus the bottle of syrup from the cabinet, and rushing to meet Ren in the living room.

By the time she had got there, Ren had cleaned off the couch, placing all the books on the floor next to it and turned the TV on. Ren himself didn't watch TV that much, but Nora loved it; Especially this one cartoon show that came on every Saturday. He never caught the name of it, but he always knew when Nora was watching it, evident by her loud screaming, urging the main characters on while bad-mouthing the main antagonist.

Together, they sat down and talked about their day. While Nora was still a university student, she had recently found a job at a pet store where she would walk around and 'inspire' the animals, as she had put it. She'd play with them and get them riled-up so that they showed off some energy when people came into the store. Ren had visited her there on several occasions, either to see how she was doing or to accompany her out on her lunch break.

Nora had begun telling Ren about how she had led a 'jailbreak' for the kittens, leading them around the store in a line for a couple of little girls who had been eyeing them. 

"I wanted to show the girls how much fun the kittens could be! I could see how much they wanted one, just by looking at their eyes, Ren! Their eyes!" She emphasized, leaning out of the chair towards Ren, pointing at both of her eyes. He began to laugh, only to start coughing when he remembered that he was still eating.

"Nora! Nora, please, I want to live!" He jokingly called out as she continued to bounce up and down on the couch. She had long since finished her pancakes, devouring them almost whole like a human vacuum.

She finally settled down to a low bounce as Ren took a drink from his mug. 

"So? How was your day, Ren? Did anything exciting happen?" She asked, excited herself.

Ren raised an eyebrow.

"I work in a library, Nora. It's not exactly the most exciting place around." He responded, leaving her frowning.

"Well, did anything out of the ordinary happen? Say, like, someone leaving a strange briefcase but when you opened it, it was full of money?!" She finished off, almost high on her own enthusiasm.

Ren smiled, stifling a laugh. "Nothing like that, but someone did show up after Menta left. That doesn't usually happen."

Nora began bouncing up and down in her seat again, like a mobile ball of energy. 

"Ooo! Tell me about it, what did they look like, what did they want, who were they?!" She exclaimed, a big, bright smile on her face as she did. 

Ren was worried that if she smiled anymore, her face would get stuck like that. Then again, she was usually smiling like that anyway.

"She had just moved into town and wanted a book recommendation, Nora." He palmed his mug and brought it up to his lips again, sighing contently. "Just something to read while she got used to living here in Oniyuri."

Nora mouthed out an 'oh' and was silent for a moment before she perked up once again, eyes wide with realization. 

"Wait, she?" She asked and then Ren knew he had made some kind of a mistake. "Ooo, was she pretty? What color were her eyes, Ren? If she was pretty, you'd remember her eyes!"

The orange-haired girl tackled Ren's side, just narrowly managing to avoid his food, and pushed him into the arm of the couch. Then, silent and thinking for a moment, she took Ren's bowl out of his hands and placed it delicately on the table before going back to her original assault; jumping on Ren and pestering him with questions on the 'mystery girl'.

Ren laughed, feebly holding Nora's wrists to her sides. It took him a minute to calm her down and even then, she wouldn't stop moving. She sat on her knees on the couch, facing him.

"So," She started again, in a much calmer tone. "Tell me about her."

Ren raised an eyebrow, wrapping his hands around his mug. 

"Why?" He asked, bringing it up to take a short sip.

Nora leaned toward him, close enough to the point where their noses were almost touching. If he hadn't known her for the better part of twelve or so years, it would have made him uncomfortable. Thankfully, he had gotten used to her overly-physical ways ages ago.

"Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! You said it yourself, people don't usually show up after Menta leaves," She began waving her arms and hands out in exaggerated gestures as she talked. "And then this pretty girl—I'm assuming she's pretty—walks in and you're the only one there! Maybe this is destiny, Ren!"

Ren waved her off and she slowly fell back into her seat, her eyebrows falling with her.

"Nora, it isn't that serious. Blake just wanted something to read and I helped her out." He left out the part about inviting her back to talk about the book. He wasn't usually one for discussion, but she seemed like the type to enjoy it. "It's kind of my job at the library, you know."

Nora jumped up again and Ren was sure the entire couch would collapse eventually.

"Aha! Her name's Blake! So you _did_ talk to her, then!" Nora acknowledged. "Tell me about her, Renny!"

His eyebrows rose in surprise as he realized his slip-up. Ren opted to wave her away again, but it proved less effective the second time around. She stayed pressed up, excited to no end and, in the end, he ended up caving.

"Yes, I had to talk to her to know what kind of books she was into." He replied, facade still in place. "Other than the fact that she likes sci-fi and fantasy, I can't tell you much about her." 

Nora, however, was undeterred.

"What did she look like? If you remember her name, then you should remember what she looks like!" Nora argued back. Ren hesitated and his momentary pause was caught by Nora, who reached out to grab his shoulders and shake him excitedly.

"Tell me, Ren! This is importaaaant!" Nora's shaking began to pick up before Ren sighed and reached up, easing her back into her seat calmly.

"Relax, Nora. It's really not that big of a deal." He stood up, his empty bowl and her plate in his hand, and made his way into the kitchen. He had effectively quelled all attempts at conversation as he began to wash the dishes. Nora remained on the couch, a small pout on her face as she realized she wouldn't be getting the answers to her questions.

Not soon after, she felt a slightly damp hand on her head and looked up to find Ren smiling down at her. Instantly, she beamed, a bright smile finding its way to her face as the two got up and got ready for bed. With everything turned off, the two split up at the end of the hall to go into their separate rooms. Just before he could retire to his room, though, Nora caught Ren's arm and pulled him back.

"Yes, Nora? What is it?" He asked as he looked down at her. She hesitated for a moment before grinning and reaching up to poke the tip of his nose.

"Boop! Night, Renny!" She exclaimed before stepping into her room and softly shutting the door. Ren merely smiled, turning around and walking back into his room, closing the door quietly behind him.

_

Hours later, Ren laid awake in his bed, staring up at the ceiling in the dark. 

He really needed to sleep. He had to work tomorrow again for most of the day but unfortunately, his mind didn't want to agree with his decision to go to bed, though. Ever since he'd gotten home, Ren had fought his own thoughts and only until now did he realize that Nora had been right.

Despite how much he wanted to deny it, he could remember Blake's face almost like it were a picture he had saved to his scroll. Most of all, he remembered her eyes. The most striking shade of amber that seemed to radiate against the inside of his skill as he attempted to sleep, but to no avail.

Blake...somehow, he had remembered every little subtle detail about her that he had seen during their short meeting, confused as to what that could have meant. Sinking back into his pillows, trying to lose himself in the softness of his comforter and the pillows, he gave it one last rousing attempt to fall asleep. 

Ren figured that only time would tell if his thoughts held any substance and, within the moment, he was gone, as if his thoughts hadn't kept him up at all in the first place.

**Author's Note:**

> At the time of this first chapter being uploaded, I'll be working on a backlog of chapters that I can post at regular intervals so I don't end up losing steam like I usually do. Because of that, the next update might be a while. I hope you'll stick with me, though, because I do plan to finish the story this time around; If you'll have me, that is.
> 
> Ninjas of Love - That being Ren x Blake - was the first ship that I ever really got into in RWBY just because Ren and Blake are such similar characters that I felt like it _had_ to happen.
> 
> Nowadays, I believe otherwise, but I still really like this ship; Enough to re-write an entire fic about it, anyway. It's cute, and I hope you all think the same. Thanks for reading.


End file.
